The present invention relates to animal or poultry feeding systems, and in particular to a hopper for supplying feed to a conveyor system delivering feed to animal or poultry feeding stations therealong.
Animal and poultry feeding systems are well-known in the art. Bulk feed stock in these systems is delivered to a hopper to supply the feeding system. From the hopper, the feed is directed in a metering fashion onto an endless conveyor which distributes the feed throughout the area occupied by the animals or poultry. The feed is distributed along a feeding trough or to a predetermined number of feeding stations. Typically, the feed is conveyed by means of a linked chain conveyor in a feed conveyor trough extending throughout the feeding area. Feed is deposited from the conveyor into individual feeding units along the conveyor system.
A problem with present feeding systems is experienced when the conveyor trough becomes filled with feed and the feed is carried back to the supply hopper. The feed supply in the hopper is gravitationally forced into the conveyor trough. The continued gravitational supply of feed to the conveyor trough in combination with the feed returned by the conveyor results in an oversupply of feed to the conveyor trough. The excess feed causes buildup and compacting of feed within the hopper causing the conveyor trough to jam and overflow. Additionally, the feed at the bottom of the hopper can also become compacted and is then resistant to flow once the conveyor trough has been unjammed.
Such jamming and compacting of feed in the feed distribution system causes disruption in the animal or poultry feeding schedule requiring alternate feeding methods to be implemented until the automatic feeding system is unblocked.